Tag: local

Who do you work for? Where?Is the level local, national, or international? · What are the roles and responsibilities of the agency? · What are the values/interests of the agency?.

Who do you work for? Where? Is the level local, national, or international?

· What are the roles and responsibilities of the agency?

· What are the values/interests of the agency?

· What are the internal and external influences upon the agency/business?

· What are the specific goals and objectives of the policy issue or problem to be addressed?

· How will your plan address these?

In Assignment 2, writer missed the complete last two section of the assignment so I am uploading all details of assignment 2 and its related documents. So be careful

Assessment 3: Response to Discussion Paper

Assessment Group/
individual Learning outcomes Grading indicator Min Score Weight Length/
duration Due Professional accreditation
Response to Discussion Paper Individual 2, 3 Graded N/A 30% 1500 words 29 Sep 2016 5:00 PM N/A
This assessment item builds upon the understandings developed in Assessment 2: Discussion Paper. In this assessment you are required to draft a response to your own proposal to develop a plan or policy (Assessment 2). You should make clear recommendations with respect to whether your agency supports the preparation of the plan or policy, and critique the proposal using your own research to justify your position.

You must adopt a clear viewpoint by identifying the agency whose perspective you are writing from. This will be one of the following:

a national tourism agency
a state/provincial tourism agency
local government
marine agency (e.g. international marine agency, marine parks agency, fisheries)
protected lands agency (e.g. a national parks or conservation agency)
Indigenous agency (e.g. Aboriginal affairs agency).

Executive Summary

This report is prepared for the National Trust for Nature Conservation/ Nepal tourism Board as a guide for preparation of new tourism policies to address the impacts of rural development inside Royal Chitwan National Park. The recent rural development inside the Royal Chitwan National Park threatens to destroy one of the most important natural heritages in Nepal. The development of national parks in Nepal in the mid-twentieth century was driven by the need to preserve and protect the nature, wilderness, and the resources. However, the establishment of the park has led to negative consequences such as restriction of access to resources of traditional value and increase human-wildlife conflicts. These negative impacts have made the local communities to develop hostilities towards the establishment of parks in their neighborhood. It is therefore recommended that the park should work towards improving partnerships with local communities. The management should encourage active participation of the local people in making decisions. Providing incentives for the local people can help to improve the relationships with the park. It is recommended that the NTNC should promote the harnessing of alternative energy such as the wind and solar to reduce overdependence on the wood. The retention of income from tourism by the local people should also be maximized

Table of Contents

Executive Summary. ii

Position Statement 1

Background Information. 2

Statement of need. 4

Scope of proposed process. 7

References. 9

Position Statement

The National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) is a Nepalese non-governmental organization that is responsible for conservation of nature and biodiversity. The organization was established in 1982 by the government of Nepal (NTNC 2016). The mission of NTNC is to ensure nature and the natural resources are utilized in a sustainable way to meet the needs of people today while ensuring the future generations will enjoy the resources in a similar way. This mission is based on the foundations that the conservation efforts in rural areas cannot be realized unless the needs of the surrounding communities are addressed. The trust believes in holistic and integrated conservation efforts that involve the participation of local people. The trust is responsible for conservation in regions such as Chitwan, Kanchanpur, Annapurna, Manaslu, Manang, Mustang and Bardia. In the lowlands, the trust is involved in conservation efforts in Bardia National Park, Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve, and the Chitwan National Park (NTNC 2016). However, NTNC faces a significant challenge since Nepal is one of the least economically developed nations in the world. The resources of the country sometimes do not meet the basic needs of the people (NTNC 2016). Therefore, human encroachment of the natural environment is common. The pressure from human activities on the environment places a significant burden on the National Trust for Nature Conservation. Unless a balance between meeting the needs of people and the natural heritage, the trust cannot be successful (Dhakal, Nelson and Smith 2011). For the sake of future generations, solutions for conservation must be sought.

The recent rural development inside the Royal Chitwan National Park threatens to destroy one of the most important natural heritages in Nepal. The Royal Chitwan National Park was the first national park to be established in Nepal (Hjortsø, Stræde and Helles 2006). It is recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a world heritage center. In order to protect the park, sustainable solutions must be developed. This report presents a proposal for developing a plan for addressing the impacts of rural development inside Royal Chitwan National Park. The report is developed to guide the National Trust for Nature Conservation/ Nepal tourism Board in implementing sustainable solutions that preserve the natural heritage and also achieve a higher quality of life for the people living inside and around the Chitwan National Park.

Background Information

The primary goal of developing parks and protected areas is to conserve the biodiversity (Lipton and Bhattarai, 2014). Additionally, the parks provide countries with a source of income from tourism. People living near the national parks may experience a lot of social, economic and cultural changes as a result of tourism. For instance, the creation of the Chitwan National Park in Nepal led to significant changes in the ways of life of the indigenous Tharu people in Chitwan District of Nepal (Lipton and Bhattarai, 2014, p.12). The goal of many national parks is to promote tourism while ensuring sustainable environmental activities in the surrounding areas. However, development of parks has some negative consequences to the people living in the surroundings (Joppa, Loarie and Pimm 2009). With many indigenous people depending on the parks for their livelihoods, they are disrupted when the government establishes protected areas. Indigenous communities use natural resources for agro-pastoralist, agriculture, collecting wood products, hunting, and fishing. The establishment of protected areas and natural reserves make the resources the communities were using inaccessible to them (Dhakal, Nelson and Smith 2011). Other negative consequences of establishing national parks include the restriction of access to resources of traditional value, increased human-wildlife conflicts, displacement of communities from their ancestral lands, disruption of local cultures by tourists, and disruption of social and economic activities (Dhakal, Nelson and Smith 2006). These negative impacts have made the local communities to develop hostilities towards the establishment of parks in their neighborhood.

The establishment of parks and protected areas should, therefore, be done with prior consideration of the impacts they are likely to have on the surrounding communities. The development of national parks in Nepal in the mid-twentieth century was driven by the need to preserve and protect the nature, wilderness and the resources (Colchester 1997). There was also a need to create the parks for aesthetic and recreational needs of the Nepal people (Dhakal, Nelson and Smith 2011). Additionally, parks would provide a mean for generating additional income from the businesses associated with tourism (West, Igoe and Brockington 2006). It is in this line that the Nepal government established the Langtang National Park and the Chitwan National Park in the 1970s (Bhusal 2009). Additionally, the National Park and Wildlife Act was made into law in the same year the Chitwan National Park was established (Dhakal, Nelson and Smith 2011). The Act defined a national park as an area that is set aside for the protection and management of flora and fauna and the landscapes. The primary role of the Act was to protect the sites identified by the government including their landscapes, aesthetic features and their natural environment (West, Igoe and Brockington 2006). Another objective of the conservation principles was to encourage sustainable tourism activities within the parks (Bhusal 2009). Thus, it was important to ensure there was an ecological balance between tourists’ activities and the conservation activities for the natural environment. The promotion of eco-tourism would imply that the needs of the poor communities living around and within the parks would be protected.

The Nepalese government intended to include biotic regions and pristine areas within networks of protected areas and parks. In Nepal, there is a total of 9 National Parks, 9 buffer zones around the parks, 3 Wildlife Reserves, and 3 Conservation Areas. All these protected areas and parks add to 28585.67 square kilometers (19.42%) of the total land in Nepal. The protected areas are meant for a tourist attraction (Dhakal, Nelson and Smith 2011). According to Dhakal, Nelson and Smith (2011) about 86% of the tourists visiting the country must pass through one of these areas. The high concentration of tourists is normally recorded in the Chitwan National Park. This is because the park has some of the most beautiful and spectacular recreational facilities. Additionally, the park is easily accessible from Kathmandu, the Capital City of Nepal. The Chitwan National Park is located near the border of Nepal and India. Its recognition as a world heritage center by UNESCO highlights the importance of the park to the mankind (Bhusal 2009). A small hunting lodge located in Kasara serves as the headquarters of the park. It was the first building to be constructed from concrete in the park in 1939 when King George VI of England visited the park (Dhakal, Nelson and Smith 2011). Currently, it serves as tourists trading area and houses the staff and wardens. Along the buffer zone, there are additional lodges that are used by tourists.

The development of buffer zones is one of the policies that have been used to manage protected areas while ensuring the well-being of the communities around the park (Karanth and Nepal 2012). Although the parks were initially developed to protect the natural environment, it was found unsustainable if the interests of the adjacent communities were overlooked. The introduction of the buffer zones around the parks brought the need for society participation to the fore (Karanth and Nepal 2012). The use of buffer zones allows for the participation of communities near the park and encourages constructive dialogue between the communities and the authorities. This policy is intended to create a shift from the earlier conflicts between the wildlife and the local people, and instead encourage collaborative management initiatives (Cook 2011). Generally, the buffer zone is divided into sections for different human activities in order to encourage sustainable utilization of resources. The Figure 1 below shows the Royal Chitwan National Park and the buffer zone around it.

Figure 1: The Boundary of Royal Chitwan National Park and Buffer Zone

Source: Cook (2011)

There are four major sections in the buffer zone as outlined below;

Sustainable harvest zone: this section allows for the development of plantations, religious and private forests (Cook 2011).
Wildlife corridor: in this section, there is a forest
Physical facility zone: this section has industries, roads and other forms of developments (Cook 2011).
Rural settlement zone: this section has market areas and agricultural lands
Statement of need

The trade in forest and animal products in the world threaten to wipe out all the forests on earth (DeFries, Rudel, Uriarte and Hansen 2010). The future demand for these products is expected to increase especially in countries such as India and China. It is estimated that the demand for wildlife products will double by the year 2020 (DeFries, Rudel, Uriarte and Hansen 2010). These demands call for the need to increase the forest cover through conservation efforts. The need for environmental services from the forests has made it more important to ensure the utilization of wildlife products is sustainable. The forests have multiple functions such as carbon recycling, hydrological cycle, and biodiversity conservation (Heinen and Shrestha 2006). These are important processes in the sustainability of the earth. Disruption of these cycles has led to the threat of global warming. It is unfortunate that a consensus has not been reached on how to conserve these vital resources while ensuring the current human social and economic needs are met (Heinen and Shrestha 2006). The development of parks and protected areas is an important step towards conserving the forest and protecting the vulnerable wildlife. However, for these conservation efforts to work effectively, there are a lot of issues that should be addressed. The integration of the conservation efforts with the needs of the local people is a step in the right direction. The reinvestment of funds collected from parks into the development of the parks and the surrounding communities can help address issues of human-wildlife conflicts (DeFries, Rudel, Uriarte and Hansen 2010). The parks should be integrated into the poverty reduction programs among the rural communities (Naughton-Treves, Holland and Brandon 2005). Fortunately, the increasing urbanization has promoted social mobility that has relieved forests of dependency for subsistence. In order to achieve sustainable conservation of the forests, the policies should be evaluated in the context of the larger picture. An evaluation should be made to determine how the communities, macroeconomic and other non-forest sectors play a role in the sustainability of forests.

There are many cases where indigenous people have not been considered by the management of the parks. In such cases, the local people do not achieve any benefits from the economic success of the parks arising from tourism. This scenario has served to enhance the hostility of the surrounding communities towards the parks (Leslie 2009). In order to address this hostility, change in policy is required so that parks are seen to promote the livelihoods of the rural communities. In many cases, the laws and regulations developed to protect the parks are biased against the small scale farmers (Naughton-Treves, Holland and Brandon 2005). The policies only address the needs of large-scale producers. Case studies in India show that balancing the conservation of parks with societal needs can reap significant dividends for all stakeholders (Leslie 2009). It has been demonstrated that small-scale agroforestry provides twenty more time biomasses than the large scale forests. These forests can help provide sustainable income for the rural communities (Scherl 2004). In order to achieve sustainable environmental conservation, strategic solutions must be developed. Since the conservation of the environment and the livelihood of communities are both important, there is no room for trade-offs (Wells and McShane 2004). Both of these issues must be considered as a unit and integrated solutions developed. Environmental depletion can significantly affect the livelihood of the poor communities living around the forests.

Despite the continued expansion of the forest cover in Nepal, the management and protection policies remain weak. The poor management of parks results from a lack of financing, poor governance, and development of unsustainable policies (Scherl 2004). In the face of higher demands for rural development in the parks, serious environmental degradation can be expected (Naughton-Treves, Holland and Brandon 2005). The relocation of indigenous people in the expansion of parks has resulted in more negative consequences that the projected benefits. These relocations are common around the world (West, Igoe and Brockington 2006). However, failure to consider the cultural patterns and the survival means of local people often lead to conflicts (Wells and McShane 2004). For instance, the relocation of Tharu people when the Royal Chitwan National Park was being established in 1973 has led to a lot of negative consequences (McLean 1999). The Tharu people have often had conflicts with the wildlife as they compete for resources in the park. The relocation has limited their access to natural resources, disrupted their cultural and social practices and shifted their economic activities. After the establishment of the Royal Chitwan National Park, the number of cattle declined drastically (McLean 1999). The prohibition of grazing in the protected land led to many cattle dying due to lack of pasture (McLean 1999). The increase in the number of wild animals also heightened the conflicts between human and the wildlife. Stray animals have been reported to attack the Tharu people with little to no compensation (McLean 1999). It has also become impossible for the people to go to the forest to collect vegetables, medicine, and fruits for their livelihood. The development of protected land has also led to the loss of inherited knowledge among the Tharu people (McLean 1999). The young generation is forced to adapt to the new surrounding without the advantage of inheriting knowledge from the older people. The access to their former lands is often limited.

In order to address the needs of people while ensuring environmental protection, the development of buffer zones was proposed by UNESCO. The buffer zone was meant to ensure there was a balance between the needs of the local people and the conservation efforts of the parks (Dhakal and Thapa 2015). This policy encourages the community to participate in the conservation of the park while utilizing the park resources in a sustainable manner. The opportunity to meet the dual needs of environmental protection and the livelihoods of the people looks promising. In order to achieve this objective, the buffer zone must allow people to access natural resources such as timber and wood without creating pressure on the protected areas (Martino 2001). In order to ensure sustainable extraction of natural resources, the communities should not be allowed to sell wood products. Additionally, the benefits accrued from the park should be shared between the park management and the local people (Martino 2001). The people should benefit through institutional development through construction of infrastructures such as hospitals, roads, and schools (Dhakal and Thapa 2015). However, the development of buffer zones has created conflicting priorities between rural development and conservation of Chitwan National Park. The threat to biodiversity has continued to exist despite the development of the buffer zones. The local people sometimes ignore the regulations and graze in the park or sell some wood products.

Scope of proposed process

The relocation of the Tharu people from the Chitwan National Park when it was established could have created negative attitudes towards the park. The restriction of the local people from accessing the natural resources such as wood and timber can only help in conservation of the forest in the short-term (Martino 2001). However, in the long run, such policies may fail especially if the input of the community is not sought by the park management (Martino 2001). It is important to promote capacity building and the participation of the local people in the decision-making process of the park. Efficient governance should ensure penalties are applied consistently for those who fail to obey regulations of the park (Martino 2001). The collaborative management of the park is an important aspect of the long-term success of the park conservation efforts.

Partnerships between the park management and local people are important in ensuring a win-win outcome (Andrade and Rhodes 2012). The management should encourage active participation of the local people in making decisions. This process ensures the resources of the park are used more efficiently in improving the conservation efforts while enhancing the livelihoods of the people. Encouraging local participation is likely to reduce the costs that are invested in patrolling and management of the park. Including the community in making decisions creates a sense of stewardship and encourages collaboration in conserving biodiversity and improving the lives of the local people. The most challenging aspect of developing policies is implementing them (Martino 2001). It is important to conduct research and determine the specific needs of people before implementing any policy (Andrade and Rhodes 2012). Providing incentives for the local people can help to improve the relationships with the park. The incentives can be more effective if the prior research is conducted to identify the differences between households and the communities (Martino 2001). This approach will help to ensure benefits arising from the parks are shared equitably among all individuals. The NTNC should promote the harnessing of alternative energy such as the wind and solar to reduce overdependence on the wood. As long as people continue to be over dependent on wood, the will find it difficult to attain conservation objectives. Long-term support of the community is also going to be achieved of the losses from protecting the areas are offset by sufficient benefits to the local people. The retention of income from tourism by the local people should be maximized

References

Andrade, G.S. and Rhodes, J.R., 2012. Protected areas and local communities: An inevitable partnership toward successful conservation strategies?. Ecology and Society, 17(4), p.14.

Bhusal, N.P., 2009. Chitwan National Park: a prime destination of eco-tourism in Central Tarai Region, Nepal. The Third Pole: Journal of Geography Education, 5, pp.70-75.

Colchester, M., 1997. Salvaging nature: indigenous peoples and protected areas. Social change and conservation: environmental politics and impacts of national parks and protected areas, pp.97-130.

Cook, J.M., 2011. Valuing protected areas through contingent valuation: a case study of Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Environmental Applied Science and Management, Ryerson University: Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

DeFries, R.S., Rudel, T., Uriarte, M. and Hansen, M., 2010. Deforestation driven by urban population growth and agricultural trade in the twenty-first century. Nature Geoscience, 3(3), pp.178-181.

Dhakal, B. and Thapa, B., 2015. Buffer Zone Management Issues in Chitwan National Park, Nepal: A Case Study of Kolhuwa Village Development Committee.

Dhakal, N.P., Nelson, K.C. and Smith, J.D., 2006. Assessment of resident well-being and perceived biodiversity impacts in the Padampur resettlement, Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Final Report, University of Minnesota: Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Falcon Heights, Minn, USA.

Dhakal, N.P., Nelson, K.C. and Smith, J.D., 2011. Resident well-being in conservation resettlement: the case of Padampur in the Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Society and Natural Resources, 24(6), pp.597-615.

Heinen, J.T. and Shrestha, S.K., 2006. Evolving policies for conservation: an historical profile of the protected area system of Nepal. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 49(1), pp.41-58.

Hjortsø, C.N., Stræde, S. and Helles, F., 2006. Applying multi-criteria decision-making to protected areas and buffer zone management: a case study in the Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Journal of forest economics, 12(2), pp.91-108.

Joppa, L.N., Loarie, S.R. and Pimm, S.L., 2009. On population growth near protected areas. PloS one, 4(1), p.e4279.

Karanth, K.K. and Nepal, S.K., 2012. Local residents perception of benefits and losses from protected areas in India and Nepal.Environmental Management, 49(2), pp.372-386.

Leslie, R.N., 2009. The future of forests in Asia and the Pacific: outlook for 2020. RAP PUBLICATION, p.03.

Lipton, J.K. and Bhattarai, U., 2014. Park Establishment, Tourism, and Livelihood Changes: A Case Study of the Establishment of Chitwan National Park and the Tharu People of Nepal. American International Journal of Social Science, 3(1), pp.12-24.

Martino, D., 2001. Buffer zones around protected areas: a brief literature review. Electronic Green Journal, 1(15).

McLean, J., 1999. Conservation and the impact of relocation on the Tharus of Chitwan, Nepal. Himalaya, the Journal of the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies, 19(2), p.8.

Naughton-Treves, L., Holland, M.B. and Brandon, K., 2005. The role of protected areas in conserving biodiversity and sustaining local livelihoods. Annu. Rev. Environ. Resour., 30, pp.219-252.

NTNC (2016). The National Trust for Nature Conservation. Retrieved from http://www.ntnc.org.np/national-trust-nature-conservation

Scherl, L.M., 2004. Can protected areas contribute to poverty reduction?: opportunities and limitations. IUCN.

Wells, M.P. and McShane, T.O., 2004. Integrating protected area management with local needs and aspirations. AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment, 33(8), pp.513-519.

West, P., Igoe, J. and Brockington, D., 2006. Parks and peoples: the social impact of protected areas. Annu. Rev. Anthropol., 35, pp.251-277.

Suggested Plan for writing Proposal for the preparation of a tourism plan or policy

MKT01760 Tourism Planning Environments

3. 4. 5.
Position statement (300 words)
· Who do you work for? Where?

· Is the level local, national, or international?

· What are the roles and responsibilities of the agency?

· What are the values/interests of the agency?

· What are the internal and external influences upon the agency/business?

· What are the specific goals and objectives of the policy issue or problem to be addressed?

· How will your plan address these?

Use references!

Background context (1000 words)
· What opportunities, issues and challenges face your sector?

· What visitor numbers, income and employment issues are relevant?

· What are the issue drivers? (economic, social cultural, demographic, environmental, political, technological, and institutional/agency)

· What are some examples from your research?

· Why is this issue/problem important enough to have a new policy?

Use 7 – 10 journal references!

Statement of need (1000 words)
· Why is the plan needed?

· What is the role of government? Business?

· Who are the stakeholders?

· What are the key trends that influence this issue?

· What are the challenges and how can the agency respond?

· What are possible reasons for government/business intervention?

· What are the likely desirable effects, benefits and/or outcomes from the plan?

Use references!

Scope of the proposed plan (500)
· What are some possible policy/plan approaches?

· Which instruments might be appropriate for your plan?

· Could several instruments be used more effectively? (advocacy, money, government action, law) Why?

· What types of resources are required?

· What are the advantages or disadvantages of the policy/plan?

· How can the policy/plan provide direction?

Use references!

Proposed process (200 words)
· What is the planning process?

· How will it be done?

· Who will be consulted?

· How will the plan/policy be implemented?

· How will it be reviewed?

· How will the success or lack of success be determined?

Use references!

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List researched facts on the lines. Combine facts into a paragraph. Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence. · ____________________
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Include your reference list
(minimum of 20 sources)

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Who do you work for? Where?Is the level local, national, or international? · What are the roles and responsibilities of the agency? · What are the values/interests of the agency?